Emergency Veterinary Surgery

Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) is a serious condition for dogs and is fatal if left untreated. Commonly referred to as "bloat," GDV occurs when a dog's stomach fills with gas, food, or fluid and subsequently twists.GDV develops without warning and can progress quickly.

Our team at Boulder and Northside Emergency Pet Clinics is experienced in handling GDV emergencies. Stabilization of your dog is paramount and often begins with intravenous fluids and oxygen therapy.

Surgery involves full exploration of the abdomen and de-rotation of the stomach. Additionally, the viability of the stomach wall, the spleen, and all other organs will be determined. Once the stomach is returned to the normal position in the abdomen, it is permanently fixed to the abdominal wall (gastropexy)

A laceration is a wound produced by the tearing of body tissue. Unlike an incision with smooth edges, a laceration is often jagged and irregular. Surgical repair of a laceration is indicated whenever the laceration occurred recently and is large enough to warrant sutures. 

If your pet has suffered a trauma, puncture wound or bite and is in need of laceration or abscess repair, our experienced and talented team will effectively evaluate and treat your pet to minimize additional risks and keep pain under control.

The spleen is responsible for storing blood vessels and cleaning toxins from the blood. If damaged, it can bleed profusely into the abdominal cavity, causing anemia, low blood pressure, shock and even death.

Splenectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of the spleen. This procedure is often combined with exploratory abdominal surgery, in which all of the abdominal organs are inspected and biopsies are collected if needed.

An abdominal exploratory is a surgical procedure involving the opening of the abdominal cavity and examination of a dog’s abdominal organs.

If deemed necessary, other surgical procedures such as splenectomy, biopsy, cystotomy, ovariohysterectomy or enterotomy may be performed. 

Sometimes, foreign objects are ingested or can get stuck inside a cat's or dog's body.

Whether your pet has eaten an object they shouldn't have or an accident has left them injured, we can perform foreign body surgery to remove it.

In some cases, specialized skills or equipment are needed to perform pet surgery. If that is the case for your animal, your vet will refer you to a cat or dog surgeon near Boulder and Westminster and work closely with your veterinary surgeon to ensure that your dog or cat receives the very best care.

Aural hematoma is a collection of blood in the skin and cartilage of the ear. Sources of irritation to the ear linked to the development of an aural hematoma include inflammation, allergies, parasites, foreign bodies and trauma.

Treatment options include needle aspiration and bandages, tube drainage systems and incisional drainage. The goals of surgery are to remove the hematoma, prevent recurrence and retain the natural appearance of the ears.

The surgical procedure typically includes making an incision on the underside of the ear flap to drain the fluid and followed by placing several sutures to prevent fluid from building back up. A bandage is typically placed after surgery for a couple of days to help decrease swelling, discharge, and trauma. 

During Cesarean sections, we surgically remove puppies or kittens from their mother's uterus.

C-sections are typically performed when the mother is unable to give birth naturally.